Heat exchanger provided with fixing elements, in particular in a vehicle

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a heat exchanger ( 1 ) comprising fixing elements which are provided with points of fracture, in particular in a vehicle. The aim of said invention is to provide said heat exchanger with restorable points of fracture and to make it possible to easily reassemble them after the separation thereof. For this purpose, the inventive heat exchanger ( 1 ) is characterised in that at least one fixing element is provided with a first and second area ( 6, 7; 12, 14 ) and with a quick release coupling therebetween; two areas ( 6, 12 ) form an inseparable component of the heat exchanger ( 1 ); the two areas ( 6, 7; 12, 14 ) are fixable to each other by a positive connection when the quick release coupling is closed; the coupling systems of one of the areas ( 6, 7; 12, 14 ) are provided with at least one point of fracture and in that the coupling systems provided with at least one point of fracture are arranged on the area ( 7, 14 ) which a detachable from said heat exchanger.

The invention relates to a heat exchanger with fixing elementscomprising predetermined points of fracture, in particular in a motorvehicle, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such a heat exchanger is known from EP 0 870 638 B1, where thepredetermined points of fracture serve in particular the purpose ofmaking it possible for the heat exchanger itself to come away undamagedfrom the fixing elements in the event of a vehicle accident. By virtueof this, it is only necessary for repair to renew the fixing elements,by virtue of which the repair costs can be reduced considerably incomparison with the case of damage to the heat exchanger when the fixingis not separable. With the type of fixing of the known heat exchanger, apredetermined point of fracture once destroyed cannot be restored whenrepair is effected. Rather, the area of the heat exchanger originallycomprising the predetermined point of fracture has to be replaced with acomponent to be connected firmly to the heat exchanger. The component tobe attached firmly is screwed specially into the heat exchanger.

In a heat exchanger of the generic type, the invention deals with theproblem of making it possible to replace a predetermined fracture pointmounting of a heat exchanger with an equally effective predeterminedfracture point mounting again in as simple a way as possible even aftera first fracture of this mounting. In this regard, the parts to bereplaced after a preceding predetermined fracture are on the one hand tobe connectable as simply as possible to the heat exchanger and on theother hand to make possible simple remounting of the heat exchanger inits supports.

A heat exchanger of the generic type with the characterizing features ofpatent claim 1 demonstrates a basic solution of this problem.

Advantageous and expedient developments form the subject matter of thesubclaims.

The invention is based on the general idea of locating the predeterminedpoints of fracture on the fixing elements of the heat exchanger in areaswhich can be connected to the heat exchanger by quick-actingconnections. In this regard, it is especially advantageous to providethe predetermined points of fracture in such a way that the quick-actingconnections already open automatically when a predetermined fractureoccurs. When repair is effected, only the areas of the fixing elementsof the heat exchanger which are separable or already separated in thequick-acting connections need to be renewed in the solution according tothe invention.

In the subclaims, in particular special designs of the quick-actingconnection means are indicated, which on the one hand afford firmmounting of the heat exchanger in the supports receiving it and on theother hand, in interaction with a number of quick-acting connectionsarranged on the heat exchanger, make possible simple remounting whenrepair is effected. Especially advantageous embodiments in this respectform the subject matter of the last two subclaims.

An advantageous illustrative embodiment is shown in the drawing, inwhich, in each case in a perspective illustration,

FIG. 1 shows a heat exchanger, illustrated in dot-dash lines, withdifferent quick-acting fixing elements at its upper and lower corners;

FIG. 2 shows an exploded illustration of an upper quick-actingconnection, and

FIG. 3 shows an exploded illustration of a lower quick-actingconnection.

A heat exchanger 1 indicated in perspective only by dot-dash lines ismounted vertically at the top and at the bottom between an upper supportand a lower support 4 and 5 respectively via upper and lowerquick-acting connections 2 and 3 respectively.

The heat exchanger can be in particular a cooling module in the frontarea of a motor vehicle and comprise a water cooler, a condenser and afan. In the illustrative embodiment, the upper and lower supports 4 and5 are indicated only symbolically for supporting elements usuallypresent in a motor vehicle in these areas. The inlet and outlet linesfor fluids flowing through the heat exchanger (not illustrated in thedrawing) are in each case provided at least with flexible areas, sothat, when predetermined points of fracture are provided between theheat exchanger 1 and the supports 4 and 5, the heat exchanger 1 itselfcan be displaced undamaged out of its fixing position when apredetermined fracture occurs. Such undamaged displacement of the heatexchanger is to be possible in the event of a vehicle accident in orderthat on the one hand no heat exchanger fluid can escape and on the otherhand cost-effective repair can be carried out without exchanging theheat exchanger 1.

The upper and lower quick-acting connections 2 and 3 are designeddifferently.

A lower quick-acting connection 3 is described in greater detail belowwith reference to the exploded illustration in FIG. 3. This quick-actingconnection 3 is designed in the form of a dovetail connection. A tonguepart 6 of the quick-acting connection 3 is an inseparable component ofthe heat exchanger 1. The groove part 7 of the quick-acting connection 3assigned complementarily to the tongue part 6 can be connecteddetachably to a bearing 9 within the lower support 5 via a formed-on pin8.

With respect to a predetermined fracture mounting of the heat exchanger,the groove part 7 of the quick-acting connection 3 is designed as asacrificial part which functions when a predetermined fracture takesplace. In order to be capable of performing this function, at least oneof the two webs 10 of the groove part 7 is provided with a predeterminedpoint of fracture 11 designed as a material weakening.

When a predetermined fracture takes place in the area of the lowerquick-acting connection, the quick-acting connection bursts openautomatically by virtue of the web 11 provided with the predeterminedpoint of fracture breaking off. For repair, only the groove part 7 hasto be replaced. The bearing 9 within the lower support 5 is inparticular an elastic bearing.

The exploded illustration in FIG. 2 shows the construction of the upperquick-acting connection 2.

There, an upper pin 12 is connected firmly and inseparably to the heatexchanger 1. A sleeve 14 provided with a cap 13 is provided as acomplementary quick-acting connection means for connection to the upperpin 12. After being guided through an opening within the upper support4, the sleeve 14 can with the aid of the cap 13 be snapped firmly butdetachably into this upper support 4. The sleeve 14 is provided withslits 15 for creating predetermined points of fracture. An elasticbearing ring 16 is introduced between the quick-acting connection meanswhich engage with one another in the upper quick-acting connection 2,namely the upper pin 12 and the sleeve 14.

When a predetermined fracture takes place in the area of an upperquick-acting connection 2, the sleeve 14, weakened by the slits 15,breaks open, by virtue of which the upper pin 12 is freed. By virtue ofthis, the heat exchanger 1 can be displaced without damage.

When repair is effected, remounting of a heat exchanger 1 which has beendisplaced without damage during an accident by the predetermined pointsof fracture giving way takes place in particular as follows.

In the quick-acting connections 2, 3, the parts 7 and 14, which havebeen destroyed by the specific predetermined fractures, are replaced.

In a first remounting step, the lower quick-acting connections 3 arerenewed by joining the groove and tongue parts 6, 7 together. The heatexchanger 1 is then inserted via the lower pins 8 into the bearings 9 ofthe lower support 5, pivoting of the heat exchanger 1 being possible byvirtue of the elasticity of the bearings 9. In this way, the heatexchanger 1 is pivoted into a position in which renewed sleeves 14 ofthe upper quick-acting connections 2 can be connected through the uppersupport 4 to the respective upper pin 12 of the heat exchanger 1. At thesame time as the upper quick-acting connections 2 are closed, thesleeves 14 are snapped firmly in the upper support 4 by means of thecaps 13 connected to them. After this, the heat exchanger 1 is mountedready for operation with a renewed predetermined fracture mounting,which allows renewed breaking-open caused by an accident.

1. A heat exchanger with fixing elements comprising predetermined pointsof fracture, in particular in a motor vehicle, characterized by thefeatures at least one of the fixing elements comprises a first area anda second area (6, 7; 12, 14) with a quick-acting connection betweenthese two areas (6, 7; 12, 14), in each case one of the two areas (6;12) is an inseparable component of the heat exchanger (1), when thequick-acting connection is closed, the two areas (6, 7; 12, 14) engagepositively with one another with a fixing effect, the connection meansof one of the two areas (6, 7; 12, 14) are provided with at least onepredetermined point of fracture, the connection means provided with theat least one predetermined point of fracture is located on the area (7,14) which can be separated from the heat exchanger (1).
 2. The heatexchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first area and the secondarea (6, 7) of a fixing element in a quick-acting connection engage withone another in the manner of a dovetail connection.
 3. The heatexchanger as claimed in claim 2, wherein the predetermined point offracture is provided at least in one of the webs (10) of the area (7)which can be separated from the heat exchangers.
 4. The heat exchangeras claimed in claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area (12,14) of a fixing element engage with one another in a telescopic manner.5. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predeterminedpoint of fracture is provided in that area (14) of the areas (12, 14) ofthe fixing element which engage with one another in a telescopic mannerwhich can be separated from the heat exchanger (1) by means of thequick-acting connection.
 6. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1,wherein that area (7, 14) of a quick-acting connection which can beseparated from the heat exchanger (1) projects to outside the connectionfor fixing in a complementary bearing of a support (4, 5) supporting theheat exchanger (1).
 7. The heat exchanger as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe heat exchanger (1) is provided equally with quick-acting connectionswherein the first area and the second area of a fixing element in aquick-acting connection engage with one another in the manner of adovetail connection; and the first area and the second area of a fixingelement engage with one another in a telescopic manner.
 8. The heatexchanger as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first area and the secondarea of a fixing element in a quick-acting connection engage with oneanother in the manner of a dovetail connection and forms the connectionto a lower support (5) supporting the heat exchanger (1) and the firstarea and the second area of a fixing element engage with one another ina telescopic manner and forms the connection to a corresponding uppersupport (4).
 9. A heat exchanger with a mounting between an uppersupport and a lower support lying roughly in a common vertical plane,characterized by the features wherein the first area and the second areaof a fixing element in a quick-acting connection engage with one anotherin the manner of a dovetail connection and connect the heat exchanger(1) to the lower support (5), the first area and the second area of afixing element engage with one another in a telescopic manner andconnect the heat exchanger (1) to the upper support (4), in each casethose parts of the quick-acting connection means which can be separatedfrom the heat exchanger (1) engage in the supports (4, 5).
 10. The heatexchanger as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first area and the secondarea of a fixing element engage with one another in a telescopic manner,the separable areas are in each case designed as sleeves (14) and can ineach case be pushed through the associated support (4, 5) onto theinseparable area of the fixing elements provided on the heat exchanger(1), the sleeves (14) in this state being designed so as to be fixablein the associated support (4, 5).